What codeine is for. Codeine is a type of strong painkiller called an opioid. It\’s used to treat pain, for example after an operation or an injury. However, the need for Codeine linctus prescribing will be minimal in terms of GP as there are alternative available cough suppressants OTC. In … Codeine may be habit forming. Take codeine exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of it, take it more often, stop taking it suddenly, … Codeine is an opioid drug that can cause opioid tolerance, dependence, toxicity and in high doses, death. Many people also develop severe health … Description. Codeine is used to relieve mild to moderate pain. It belongs to the group of medicines called narcotic analgesics (pain medicines). First, codeine 2 was converted to 6-O-acetylcodeine (13) by reaction with acetic anhydride. Then, glacial acetic acid and nitric acid were added slowly to the … Codeine is an opioid medicine used to relieve mild pain and suppress a dry cough. Find out how codeine works and about possible side effects. Codeine is an opioid used to treat pain and cough and is available by prescription. Find out how to make a positive codeine identification. Combining codeine and Sprite can lead to a deadly overdose, especially when other substances are involved. Learn more here.